Corbyn 'sorry' for hosting event with anti-Israel speaker

By Greg Heffer, political reporterJeremy Corbyn has apologised for "concerns and anxiety" caused by him chairing a House of Commons event at which Israel was compared to the Nazis.The incident forms part of a complaint made to Labour about Mr Corbyn, as well as a referral of the party to Britain's human rights watchdog.Mr Corbyn admitted he has "on occasion appeared on platforms with people whose views I completely reject" in relation to the event, which was held in parliament on Holocaust Memorial Day in 2010.His apology comes amid an ongoing controversy over Labour's decision not to adopt the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition and working examples of anti-Semitism.In a new party code of conduct, Labour has used its own wording for IHRA examples of anti-Semitic behaviour, including comparing contemporary Israeli policies to those of the Nazis.

0:26Video:Corbyn: 'Nice to see you. Goodbye.'Documented in a 2010 report published by the Community Security Trust (CST) into anti-Semitic discourse, speakers included an Auschwitz survivor who was fiercely critical of Israel.Hajo Meyer, who died in 2014, addressed audiences at a tour titled "Never again for anyone - Auschwitz to Gaza", which included the Commons event.Referring to a renowned Holocaust survivor and Nobel peace prize winner, Meyer said: "Judaism in Israel has been substituted by the Holocaust religion whose high priest is Elie Wiesel."The tour also featured Dr Haidar Eid, a leading Palestinian activist, speaking by video link.

0:42Video:Willsman confronted over anti-Semitism rantThe CST report describes Dr Eid as claiming Nazism "won" because its "victims" had now essentially become the new Nazis."If there is something to learn from Gaza 2009, it is that the world was absolutely wrong to think that Nazism was defeated in 1945," he is reported to have said."Nazism has won because it has finally managed to Nazify the consciousness of its own victims."Accounts of the tour and Commons meeting chaired by Mr Corbyn have surfaced after the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism wrote to Labour issuing a disciplinary complaint against the party's leader.

1:04Video:McDonnell: Anti-Semitism issue has 'shaken us to the core'The group has also referred Labour to the Equality and Human Rights Commission over "discrimination and victimisation in the party".Responding to the CAA charge Mr Corbyn said: "The main speaker at this Holocaust Memorial Day meeting, part of a tour entitled 'never again - for anyone', was a Jewish Auschwitz survivor. Views were expressed at the meeting which I do not accept or condone."In the past, in pursuit of justice for the Palestinian people and peace in Israel/Palestine, I have on occasion appeared on platforms with people whose views I completely reject."I apologise for the concerns and anxiety that this has caused."Mr Corbyn did not offer any further comments when approached by reporters on Wednesday.But, shadow chancellor John McDonnell called on the party to "resolve all these issues" by the time of Labour's annual conference at the end of September, including a consultation on the party's anti-Semitism definition.He said: "None of us fail to appreciate the way this has upset people, including ourselves. It's really shaken us to the core. But, we'll resolve this, we've got to."The key issue for me has always been, we've got to resolve it within the Labour Party, certainly, but also the members of the Jewish community are really suffering out there."We've had a massive increase in attacks on the Jewish community, daubing of cemeteries, it's appalling that Jewish schools have to have security guards with them as well."So, we've got to resolve the issue within our party and then get out there to assist the Jewish community campaigning against anti-Semitism within our society overall."

0:17Video:'Corbyn asked me about anti-Semitism report'Gideon Falter, chairman of the CAA, said: "The evidence shows beyond all doubt that Jeremy Corbyn is an anti-Semite and the Labour Party has become institutionally anti-Semitic."The problem is not one man but an entire movement which has hijacked the anti-racist Labour Party of old and corrupted it with a racist rot."Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust said: "On Holocaust Memorial Day, when people from all backgrounds, parties and faiths came together to remember the unique evil of the Holocaust, Mr Corbyn chose to chair an event undermining its very purpose - deliberately distorting of the truth of history's greatest crime."More from Jeremy CorbynJeremy Corbyn 'not comparing Israelis to Nazis' by raising Stalingrad in rally speech

Amid the row over Labour's new anti-Semitism code, Mr Corbyn has come under increasing pressure to expel a close ally from the party after they claimed Jewish "Trump fanatics" are behind recent allegations.Sky News also obtained a recording of Peter Willsman, who sits on Labour's National Executive Committee, describing Mr Corbyn as his "mate of 40 years" and revealing the Labour leader sought his advice on the party's 2016 Chakrabarti report on anti-Semitism.news.sky.com

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